Safety grip



\f-J. H. BASS Jan. 19,1943.

SAFETY GRIP Filed April 9, 1942 Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,308,4{35 SAFETY GRIP William H. Bass,- Houston, Tex. Application April 9, 1942, Serial No. 438,343

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in safeby grips for clamping engagement with steel plates, or the like, to lift the same by crane or other hoisting means.

The invention is designed with the particular object in view of providing a heavy duty device of this character which will positively not slip, is quick acting, adapted for automatic release, and is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

To the accomplishment of the above and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, with parts shown in section, of the preferred embodiment of my invention and with the fixed and movable jaws shown in clamping relation, and

Figure 2 is a view in edge elevation.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, my improved safety grip comprises, as its basic element, the bifurcated, substantially horseshoeshaped, yoke I providing therein a downwardly opening central slot 2 for receiving'an edge of a plate to be lifted. The yoke I is formed of a pair of opposed plates 3 suitably secured together, as

by rivets 4, and with spacers, as at 5, interposed therebetween.

On one side of the slot 2, adjacent the bottom of the yoke I, is a stationary jaw carrier 6 of cliplike form straddling the yoke and set into one edge of the slot 2. The jaw carrier 6 is riveted, as

at I, to the yoke I and provided with an insert 8 of hardened corrugated steel dovetailed therein and projecting into the slot 2 to form a stationary jaw.

- Opposed endwise to the insert 8, or stationary jaw, is a flat, lever-like movable jaw 9 pivoted, as at III, to the yoke I to rock between the plates 3 and having an eccentric inner end II adapted to project into the slot 2 for cooperation with the described stationary jaw. The end I I of the movbe lifted to effect clamping of a plate inserted edgewise into the slot between the describedfixed and movable jaws 8, 9 and for that purpose the following toggle link means is provided.

- Pivoted at one end thereof, as at I2, to the upper edge of the yoke I directly above the jaw carrier 6 to play between the plates 3 and extend upwardly from the yoke I is a short link I3 having a picot pin I4 extending through lts'upper end. A pair of long links I5 are pivoted at lower ends thereof, as at IE, to the outer end of the movable jaw 9 to extend upwardly upon opposite sides of the yoke I to the pin I4 which extends through the upper ends of said links. A shackle I1 for connection to a hoisting cable, not shown, has its ends traversed bythe pin- I4 and'interposed between the links I5 upon opposite sides of the link As will be seen, a pull on the shackle I'I will cause the links I5 to rock the movable jaw 9 into gripping, or clamping, relationto the described fixed jawso that a plate interposed between said jaws will be tightly gripped or clamped by the same. As soon as the pull is released, the movable jaw will release.

The foregoing will, it is believed,sufilce to imout further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within th scope of the subjoined claim. I

What I claim is:

A safety grip for suspension from a hoisting cable to lift steel plates edgewise comprising a substantially horseshoe-shaped yoke forming therein a downwardly opening slot, a clip-like member straddling the yoke adjacent the bottom edge thereof on one side of the slot and secured .thereto, said member being set into one edge of the slot, a corrugated insertdovetailed into said member to extend into said slot and forming a fixed jaw, a lever-like movable jaw pivoted in said yoke on the other side of the slot for rocking in the plane of the yoke and having an inner eccentric end opposed to said fixed jaw and adapted under rocking of the same outwardly of the slot to approach saidiixed jaw, a shackle for connection to a hoisting cable, and means connecting the shackle to the top of the yoke and to the outer end of the movable jaw whereby under lift on the shackle said movable jaw will be rocked to move said inner end thereof outwardly of said slot;

WILLIAM H. BASS. 

